BACK FOR NIGHT TWO OF TEXAS OUTLAW NATIONALS: FAST AGAIN AS THE RAGIN’ CAJUN SETS QUICK TIME, WINS HEAT AND RACES TO A STRONG FIFTH PLACE FINISH DURING WoO 40TH ANNIVERSARY RACE AT DEVIL’S BOWL

MESQUITE, TEXAS (April 28, 2018) – The sun was shining over the Dallas metropolitan area all day long, which is good news for Jason and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series competitors after so many rainouts to this point of the season. Track officials at Devil’s Bowl worked extremely hard tending to the track’s surface to make sure it was ready for the second and final night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals. After an impressive opening night, Jason and the JJR crew were excited and confident to get their Smiley’s Racing Products #41 Maxim back out on the famous one-half mile, semi-banked oval. There were 22 cars entered for the racing action with each driver shooting to be one holding the $20,000-to-win check and wearing the cowboy hat at the end of the night on the frontstretch.

Jason would be the ninth car out on the track for his laps against the clock in time trials. He waited patiently in the staging lane and when Brent Marks took the checkers on his two laps, Jason flipped the shield down on his Shell Shock custom painted Bell Racing helmet as his Kistler Racing Engines power came to life under the hood of the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Waco Metal entry as he entered the speedway off turn two. The Louisiana gasser stepped on the speed button and got all the horses running and took the green flag. He raced his way down the frontstretch and dove low into turn one as he powered off turn two and down the backstretch with the air flowing over his Vortex Racing Products top wing. Dropping low again to get as close as possible to the inside tractor tires, the Ragin’ Cajun drove smoothly through turns three and four and moved to the top of the speed charts with a lap of 13.605 seconds. His second lap was consistent and fast at 13.638 seconds, but the quicker of his two circuits was fast time for the second consecutive night at Devil’s Bowl.

Starting on the pole of the first 8-lap heat race, Jason would need to get up on his MPI Innovations steering wheel right from the start as he was sharing the front row with last night’s winner Daryn Pittman. Ian Madsen and Brent Marks were in row two with Cory Eliason, Sheldon Haudenschild, David Gravel and Dale Wester rounding out the starting order. When the yellow lights dimmed and the green lights illuminated, Jason drove the Smiley’s Racing Products #41 Maxim over the chalk line and off the bottom into the lead. The Eunice, Louisiana native was trucking around Devil’s Bowl as he built a pretty good lead over Pittman. As the checkers flew, Johnson took the heat race win over Pittman as Haudenschild, Madsen and Marks rounded out the top five.

Qualifying for the Sears Craftsman Dash, a 6-lap race that sets the feature event’s starting order, Jason was hoping for a good draw for his starting spot out of the Craftsman toolbox. When he pulled his wrench out there was a “6” on it, which meant he would start on the outside of row three to Daryn Pittman’s outside. Shane Stewart and Donny Schatz would be directly in front of them with an all Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR) front row as Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet would bring the field to the green front the front row. Sweet used the outside lane to take the win over Kahne as they were followed across the finish line by Stewart, Pittman, Schatz and Johnson.

Starting sixth in the Texas Outlaw Nationals, Jason and the MVT #41 crew made some adjustments to get their MAXIM Racing entry ready to roll in the 30-lap finale. It was finally time for what the fans that packed the stands came out to see – the finale of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl. When the green flag waved, Brad Sweet took the point position as Jason drove into the fifth spot. Jason was making the low line work and on the third circuit he passed Kasey Kahne for the fourth position. Sweet was leading Shane Stewart and Donny Schatz as the Ragin’ Cajun was trying to chase them down. He was making progress as Schatz got by Stewart for the runner-up position, but maintained his position at the midway point of the race. Schatz was now pressuring Sweet for the lead in the waning laps and took it with 5 laps to go as Jason was battling for position with Logan Schuchart. Schuchart would get by Jason with 3 laps to go as Schatz put a little distance between himself and Sweet. Schatz would take the victory over Sweet as Stewart, Schuchart and Johnson rounded out the top five. The Ragin’ Cajun completed a very impressive 3-race weekend aboard the Smiley’s Racing Products #41 Maxim with two fast times, one that set a new track record at Devil’s Bowl, two heat race victories, two third place A-Main finishes and a fifth place run on the final night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals. Another great run for the forty one!

Cajun Maintains His High Speed Adventure at the Historic Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas!